Chapter 1 ⨳ The Question

Darkness. It encompassed my motionless body. Cradling me with its barbed blades. Shadows bleeding into me, filling up my veins as they emptied to the floor under me.

I- Am I dying?

I could feel the vibrations in my lungs, tearing through my throat as my screams ripped through the air, finally hitting my ears. This deadly figure stretched across my vision, somehow darker than the night in this dimly lit kitchen. I could hear his steps by the squish of my blood, followed with the high pitched dripping underfoot.

My teeth clamped together with an audible crunch. My screams spitting through my teeth as curses to this monster. The figure's tongue traced the upper line of his teeth cockily as a wide smile formed. He walked over with his hands in his pockets. "You've been a real hoot, you really have been." His British voice seemed to envelope my full attention. "But I need to cut this short. Bro bro made a mistake, so believe me when I say it's not personal. I would have listened to your screams any day of the week. But today you just so happen to be a lamb for their sins."

The corners of my mouth pulled up guiding my upper lip to follow. I chuckled out between my screams, "What are you then... some sort of demon?" He was now squatting on a knee next to my neck. His head turned to watch my face straight on. His brow twitched.

Eyes now twinkling with his sinister fangs out, he shamelessly smiled with a dark sincerity. "You don't have the slightest what I am do you?" His eyes flashed between my eyes in thought. In a swift motion my arm was in his hand.

"You've given me a change of heart. I've graciously decided your death is now a lose-lose. A catch 22 if you will. They either kill you now and end your pain while dealing with the clean up duty. Or, and here's the kicker," He then twisted my hand so that my index finger tip was aimed up. "I can turn you- and your bloodlust is also theirs to deal with as well."

Without saying more he slowly pulled my finger to his massive grin. A single fange softly tore into my finger tip and he pulled it off dropping my hand to my broken body on the floor. "You amuse me, demon boy. I hope you survive hell." With a smile he was gone.

My rugged breath felt like knives in my chest. I forced my screams to stop as my lungs hurt even more with each burst, opting for whimpers instead. Lying on the cold wood floor for what seemed like an eternity, my finger began to ice over.

Without notice it felt like a dozen needles were poking my finger right in the bite. Almost like it was falling asleep except it did the opposite. Inexplicably my entire finger ignited in what felt like flames. Like a blow torch was rammed in my finger, burning the core and all. Ideas started springing to mind what I was feeling. I settled on the fact I must be reliving my memories as I was being cremated.

I heard a quick patter of feet, and the room I was laying in was now illuminated harshly by yellow light. Quickly there was a shadowy cover above me. It was Clover? She asked me previously to come over today. I was so excited that she asked so when i saw her front door was open with the lights off, I had to check.

"Clover! Why is he here now?" Her brother barked out, pulling me to reality. As I writhed in pain, flames now reached partially past my wrist. My body tensed and naturally began pulling my hand away from me so it wouldn't catch the rest of me aflame. Clover frantically grabbed my arm to keep me straight in line all the while screaming for her dad.

"F-Fire-" My broken voice squeaked out looking Clover right into her golden eyes. They were torn as she looked like she was sobbing, staring right back into my eyes. Afraid to look at my broken body.

"He's saying his lungs are on fire. His ribs are broken." The Dad says pointing up and down my body, keeping his distance.

"No!" My voice rang through my ears as it echoed in the room. Everyone stopped looking at each other and turned to me shocked. Immediately I was met with my lungs emptying completely from the sharp pain of my ribs.

Clover was still holding my arm to me with impossible strength, her other hand on my cheek. "Zeke, I need you to listen to me- I'm so sorry," Her voice cracked out trying to calm me. At this point the fire was in my bicep as I gritted my teeth. "But we aren't going to hurt you, please don't be afraid of me."

I shook my head violently on the ground. She wasn't getting it. I put all my effort into speaking clearly through my screams, "Burning- My hand, Clover!"

Her eyes squinted slightly and then they were smashed open widely. Her body started to turn to my hand but she never dropped eye contact as she started making what looked like a silent plea. Till finally her eyes dropped to my hand.

It looked like she turned to stone, absolutely no movement came from her as she stopped breathing. A shaky "No," came out as a whisper. Her mouth was now covered by the back of her hand to her lips that now quaked.

"He- He's been bitten." She looked up at her dad with that same pleading face but giving it a painful voice now. Her dad pulled her head into his side consoling her. Clover's grip loosened on my arm and the pain was already mid way into my chest and was now leaking down my side.

"I'll give you your goodbyes then," He said as he motioned Clover's brother, Thomas, away. Clover's voice cut through my screams.

"No!" she blurted out "Let- We should let him decide, please..." she sobbed out as her head leaned on the kitchen drawer in front of her.

"Clove, you know we can't do that. We can't take a newborn. I'm sorry but he wont have any control- it's much too dangerous" His tone was soft in response but Clover turned back to me.

Her face was back above me. Her eyes were locked with mine. She was all my brain could focus on now. "Hey," She said as if waking me up. "I-I am so very sorry- I shouldn't have asked you to come here, or even locked eyes with you. I ruined your life before it even started- All I can do now is give you a final send off, okay?"

At hearing that this was the end, my body oddly calmed down as I kept eye contact with her. My screams now moans and whimpers again as I could feel the tears running harder down my face, blurring Clover completely out of my vision.

I wish I could have loved her more.

My life didn't flash before me, it was unfamiliar. It was a life with Clover. Making dinner late at night together, her face illuminated by a soft orange over head light. Us getting our first little place together in some apartment in the noisy city.

She brushed my bloodied hair up off my forehead and held her hand to my cheek as I can now hear her crying harder, her breath jolting at the end of every word. "I need you to keep listening- I can stop all this pain for you- Zeke, but it'll be the end of your life..."

I squinted my eyes closed, trying to get rid of the torrent of tears. I want to see her. As I reopened my eyes she was clear again. I raised my tense arm to her and she pulled away from holding my face. I managed to grab her hand and her eyes became shocked and then began squinting again with pain, knowing what it was I wanted. Her.

"Or... I can stay here- With you. And let you change into a.." She looked back at the others then turned back to me, "A vampire." she hopelessly shrugged as her lips curl into a sad smile.

I didn't want to see her like this. The kind face that beamed with happiness and joy now twisting in on itself. Those eyes that greeted me the first time we met. She genuinely cared for me for whatever inconceivable reason. I wanted that future I saw, I didn't want to see her in this pain. I knew what I wanted.

My eyes began blurring again. What if that was the last time I saw her? What if this was the last time she saw me, like this? My head rolled back as I tried to speak through my groans. "Us- I want us- I want you. I want you."

I began repeating the words as if they would remove the explosive fire. She held my hand and placed her other gentle hand on my face again and softly smiled through the pain. "Then you'll have it." She lowered her face to my ear "I'm going to speed this up, okay?" She said softly and then as her cold breath hit my neck. Then there was a soft noise like a bite into a soft apple. She bit me.